Mechanically driven boat



2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LEO L. RILEY ATTORNEY L. L. RILEY MEcHAMcALLY DRIVEN BOAT Filed Sept. 28, 1944 I BY Patented Aug. 12, 1947 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE MECHANICALLY DRIVEN BOAT Leo L. Riley, Redondo Beach, Calif.

Application September 28, 1944, Serial No. 556,224

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a mechanically driven boat propeller and to means for mounting and dismounting said propeller.

Among the objects of the invention are: To provide a propeller structure which may be more conveniently attached to boats already made, but not having been built with a view to providing them with mechanically driven propellers; to provide a special mounting means for such a propeller which includes a water-tight fitting through the bottom of the boat; to provide in combination with such a propeller and said mounting means therefor, a tool which may be efliciently utilized both to put the propeller into its operative position in relation to its said mounting means and to remove the propeller from its mounting means; to provide an improved means for regulating the direction in which the axis of the propeller extends in relation to the length of the boat thereby utilizing the propeller as a means for steering the course of the boat; and to provide an improved steering, clamping and mounting means for holding the propeller in place in a water-tight manner with the power conveying means therefor extending through an aperture in the bottom of the boat upon which .the propeller is mounted,

A more specific object of the invention is to provide, in combination with an annular member fitted into an opening in the bottom of a boat and furnished with elastic integral packing means; a propeller-carrying tube insertable through and fitting within said annular member, and a tool constructed and arranged to draw said tube into its operative position within said annular member in such a manner as not to disengage said packing.

Other objects, advantagesand features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate what is at present deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a vertical mid-section of the propeller mechanism showing the same in its operative position upon a boat, a fragment of th hull of which is included in the view. Parts of the structure are broken away and other parts are broken out in order to contract the View.

Fig. 2 is a partly elevational and partly sectional view of the propeller in its operative position showing the same on a smaller scale, this view also showing the use of a special tool provided for the purpose of mounting and demounting the propeller.

Fig. 3 is a vertical mid-section of the mounting and demounting tool separately shown.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the power transmitting means for the propeller passes through a tubular member I0 fitted within a suit able opening therefor in the boats bottom I I and provided with an external annular flange Illa which is drawn upwardly against the boats bottom by an annular member or collar i=2 which is screwed on said member 10, as shown, thereby holding upright the assembly I3. Packing units [4 and I5, respectively located. above and below the boat bottom surround a sleeve l6 fitted rotatively within the tube H].

A shaft H is rotatably mounted within said sleeve it in an internally spaced relation to its inner surface, being surrounded in this position by a roller bearing [8 located within the upper end portion of the sleeve I 6, and a lower bearing l9 located in the lower end portion of said sleeve, each end of the sleeve being internally recessed, as shown, in order to provide seats in which said bearings are secured by a friction tight fit. A bevel gear 20 secured to the lower end of said shaft l'l meshes with a like bevel gear m at the power transmitting end of a propeller shaft 3|, while a bevel gear 2| secured to the power receiving end of shaft I! by a nut 21a: meshes with a like gear Zia of the driving means.

The gears 23 and 20a are contained within a housing 23 which is adjustably secured to the lower end of the sleeve [6, said housing being pro-- vided with an upwardly directed shank portion 23a which screws onto the lower end of the sleeve I 6 and is locked to it by means of a collar 24 and set screws 25 and 2G. The opposite, horizontally directed end portion of the housing 23 has screwed into it an externally threaded sleeve member .21 which is adjustably locked into position by a collar 28 and set screws 29 and 30'. The propeller shaft 3! which has secured to it the aforementioned gear 20a, is secured within said sleeve member 27, as shown, together with an v antifriction bearing 32, bearing sleeve 33, packing gland 34 and thrust collar 35. The propeller 3-6 is secured onto said shaft 3'] by suitable splines 36a, as shown.

The special nuts 31, 38 and 39' are designed so as to take u the packings l4; l5 and 34 respectively, the nut for the latter bearing being provided with a set screw 39a. The nut 24a and set screw 25a clamp the nut 38 in adjusted'position.

Asprocket wheel 46 is secured on the sleeve or tube it just above the nut 31, as shown, with a running fit in relation to said nut, being fixed to said sleeve by a set screw 4| ed upon the sleeve l6 above the wheel 4|] and supports the housing 22, an antifriction bearing 43 being provided between said sleeve and housing as shown. A lock collar 44 is mounted upon the sleeve 42 and is held in adjusted position by set screw 46, and a set screw 45 secures the bearing 43 in operative position between said sleeve 42 and housing 22, as shown. A retaining collar 43a is secured to the sleeve It and rides on the bearing 43.

The packing gland nut 31 and the ball bearing collar 42 are vertically spaced apart the proper distance to provide between Sleeve 42 is mounttending space within which the steering wheel 45 has a working fit, this arrangement partly enclosing said steering wheel and also aiding in keeping foreign matter from getting in around the turnable tube to which said wheel is attached.

The shaft 50 is secured to the motor or engine shaft by a collar 52 furnished with set screws 52a and 521) as shown. The gear 2la is secured to said shaft 50. A sleeve 53 projects horizontally from the housing 22 as shown and is adjustably locked into position by a collar 54 and set screws 55 and 56. Antifriction bearings 51 and 51a are positioned between the shaft 50 and sleeve 53 as shown. The outer end of said sleeve 53 is rigidly supported by a standard 58 and'set screw 59.

Tov dismount the propeller unit [6 from the standard assembly l3 a special tool 6| is designed, which comprises a cylindricalsleeve 63' carrying at its lower end an annular member 62 tofit.

down through and hold assembly E3 in place, including'the packings l4 and I5, which would otherwise collapse if made of the soft compressible type and not internally supported.

The outside diameters of the sleeve l6 and adapter assembly 6| are the same, hence when these parts are axially abutted against each other an unbroken sliding surface results in the opera-' tion of' drawing sleeve l6 down through the surrounding parts when it is necessary to remove the unit l3 for repairs.

Member 6| carries at its lower end an annular adapter 62 ,fittable within sleeve 63 as shown in Fig.2, and has a guide bearing 64 to receive the threaded stem of the shaft H. A shaft 65 is slidably fitted into the bore 66 at the upper end of said sleeve 63, and has a head 61 screwed onto its opposite end with a jam fit at 6B. Said head 61 has a taper 69 to enable the operator to pull a cable '10 through the passages 64 and 66, said cable being connected to an eye part 1! of the shaft 65. r

In order to install the tool 6| in place of the assembly l3, the nut 2 Ir (see Fig. l) and adjacent gear 2| are removed'from the upper end of the shaft l1, and the tool 6! is then secured to the diametrically reduced threaded upper end 13 of said shaft shown in Fig. 2. Preparatory to removing said nut 2kt, the housing 22 together with the standard 58 and intervening parts 50 and 53 are first removed, this being accomplished by first loosening set screws. 45 and 46 and then screwing downvertically the locknut or collar upwardly until it'is detached.

A tapered or frusto conical face 15 is provided within the upper part of the sleeve-like tool 63 them a vertically ex- 10 pulls shaft 65, head 61, adapter 62 and assembly IS in place when that operation is necessary,

for example, after repairs have been made.

It will be seen that by retaining the assembly the water by cable 10 and fished out of the water, away from the boat; and the assembly operation is similarly made by dropping cable 10 (with its connected member 6! resting upon the shoulder The shaft 65 and cable H! then H, see Fig. 2). pass through sleeve 63 in assembly l3 and are connected to sleeve I6 and propeller 36, which are then lowered into the water by holding to the assembly l6 a suitable auxiliary cablehitch (not shown) and pulling assembly l6 back into place in assembly 13, and making final connections with members 58, 53, 59, 2|, 44, 45 and 46. By using the tool assembly 63 in the manner just described the propeller can be repaired WithOlltdrYdoCkihg the boat.

It will be seen that the member It forms the outer part of a tubular structure which is insertable upwardly through an opening provided therefor in the bottom of a boat. Also that the water tight housing 23 forms a part of a fittingrhaving a horizontally directed extension to support the The housing 22 carried by tical power transmitting shaft [1 with the primary power transmitting shaft 50.

I claim:

1. In a structure of the kind Vdescribed, an annular member fittable within an aperture in the bottom of a boat, a tube insertable through said annular member to support a propeller'below'the boat, power transmitting means for the propeller extending through said tube, and a tool having an end portion fitting within said tube with a working fit and connectible with an endportion of said tube to pull the latter up intooan operative position within said annular member after the latter has been put into place within the afore- 2. The subject matter of claim 1, and said tool having an imperforate cross sectional structure thus adapting it to serve as a closure for the aperture through said annular memberwhen the aforesaid tube has been removed.

3. In a structure of the kind described, an annular member fittable within an aperture in* the bottom of a boat, a tube insertable through said annular member to support a propeller below the boat, said tube having a turnable working fit 7 within said annular member, at least one packing gland around said tube containing a compressible packing to contact with said tube, and an elongated cylindrical tool connectible with said tube to draw it upwardly into said annular fitting to;

an operable position therein, said tool while. within said annular member, serving to main tain said packing in an intact conditionl l 4. The subject matter of claim 3, and said tool having the same external diameter as said; tube so that when connected with said tube it forms 7 a smooth cylindrical continuation of ,the'latter,

5. In a structure of the kind described; an an nular fitting mountable in an opening in the bot? tom of a boat, a tubular structure insertable up- Y r wardly through said fitting, a Water tight packing l means carried by said fitting within which said tubular structure is turnable, a propellerfcarried by said tubular structurebelow. said'fitting a.

power transmitting shaft for said propeller extending through said tubular structure, bearings carried by said tubular structure and rotatably supporting said shaft, and a tool insertable in a downward direction through said annular fitting and connectable with said tubular structure to draw the latter upwardly into a position for having operating means within the boat connected to it.

6. A demountable propeller assembly for boats comprising a tubular structure insertable upwardly through an opening therefor in the bottom of a boat, said tubular structure including within it a longitudinally extending turnable tube, propelling means carried by the lower end portion of said tube, driving means for said propelling means extending through said tube, a wheel secured to and surrounding the said tube to cooperate with a power transmitting steering connection, a packing gland structure surrounding said tube to prevent leakage therearound through the bottom of the boat, said gland structure ineluding an apertured packing nut surrounding said tube in an overlying relation to the packing, and a bearing structure for the tube, said bearing structure including a supporting collar surrounding said tube and spaced sufiiciently above said packing nut to provide between it and the latter a vertical space wherein said wheel has a working fit,

LEO L. RILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

